1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a terrain clearing device and to methods for the use thereof. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved continuous rod warhead and to methods for its use in terrain clearance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Continuous rod warheads are well known. A continuous rod warhead may be generally described as an explosive device having a continuous rod bundle affixed around the perimeter of an explosive charge. The rod bundle is constructed so that it may be either collapsed or expanded and is affixed around the charge in its collapsed configuration. When the charge is exploded, the blast causes the bundle to expand into a roughly circular projectile which is utilized to damage or destroy various targets. Prior art continuous rod bundles have primarily utilized hinge joints to attach the ends of the individual rods in the rod bundle together. A hinge joint is made up of a strong or primary weld at the immediate ends of two attached rods and a weak or secondary weld immediately adjacent to the primary weld. When a rod bundle is expanded, the rods spread outwardly from the hinge joints. If the welding has been done properly the secondary welds simultaneously give away during the expansion and, consequently, simultaneously place stress on the primary welds. If this occurs, the bundle will neatly expand into a roughly circular projectile. If, on the other hand, one of the secondary welds gives away too quickly placing immediate and violent stress on its adjacent primary weld, that portion of the rod bundle will be torn apart leaving a gap in the projectile pattern. Thus, it may be seen that the welding techniques required in the fabrication of hinge joints is necessarily sophisticated.
The need for quickly clearing bushes and trees from foliage covered terrain has long been recognized. For example, fire fighters need reliable methods for clearing access routes to forest fires and for providing fire breaks. Also, the various branches of the military service need reliable methods for quickly clearing wooded areas to provide helicopter landing zones, fire support bases, fields of fire, etc.
In the prior art, one method for clearing areas of foliage has been that of exploding a blast bomb just above the surface of the terrain. Blast bombs usually create large pits in the ground. Pits thus created make the areas unsatisfactory as helicopter landing zones. Pits also prohibit or hinder the passage of vehicles through an area thus cleared. Further, since such bombs explode above the ground they often merely topple or flatten the foliage at the points where it originally stood. When this results a large amount of cleanup time is required.